PLEASE ADVISE!!!! BEYOND FRUSTRATED!!!!!!

[brood mother]

After 3 weeks of being exposed to the older chicks,through a common fence, my 4 hen at just still terrorizing the! We took th separator fence down and th chicks are scared to leave th coop, and if they do, the hen see them out and run them back in. Or, the hen will go into th coop th chick are in an scare them into a corner, an start eating their food. I don't know what else to do! I just want them all to get along. There are chick feathers everywhere. I love all of them but I am at my witts end! They will all have to live in the coop that th chicks are in eventually, so I have to rectify this problem. Just scared the hen Will end up hurting one of the chicks. WHAT SHOULD I DO?????

 

[debid]

Are the hens pulling the chicks' feathers? Are they hurting them or just charging to see them run off? If they just put on a show of dominance, all is well and they will get along eventually. You just have to be sure the chicks can get food and water and understand that this is just how they establish the order. It isn't ever a welcoming party. If the hens are ganging up, causing real harm (blood drawn, pulled feathers), or the chicks cannot eat and drink, you'll need to intervene and seperate them until the chicks are older.

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

How old are the chicks?

 

[Ciqala]

I recently added 6 wee ones to my flock of 9 hens/1 rooster. I kept them separated by chicken wire out in the run a few days, bringing them in at night, and then put them all together. It's close to a week they've been merged and there's still a lot of chasing, grabbing them by their feathers that go on. I think it'd be a lot less if the little ones would just slow down a bit, lol. Some hens are better with them than others. I gave them a lot of places to hide, get up onto, etc. My rooster seems to be the one who is the absolute best with them. Here's a pic of their favorite, makeshift hideaway out in the run that only they can get into...



They do spend a lot of time in there when the flock is in that area, but will come out when the flock goes in their backyard. I also close the door between the front and back runs a couple of times a day so the little ones have some time to relax, eat, drink and do their own thing for a while.

This is my first time adding little ones to the flock, it IS hard to watch them get harassed/chased. But no one's been hurt and I'm noticing it is getting better, even if just a little, every day. I have 7 more chicks in the house to eventually add when they're old enough, I'm dreading going through all this again urgh.

 

[brood mother]

Well, I feel a little better now. No blood, but LOTS of feather pulling!! I haven't seen anyone get jumped on in the coop, they just walk in there makin lots of racket and the kiddos all run to the corner. My husband put th no girls in a time out,lol, when they were ugly this morning. Put them in th enclosed run. The chicks range from 8-6 weeks.

 

[brood mother]

I didn't see this, my husband said he did, but, he said one of our hens jumped on a younger chick. Literally jumped on her back with her feet. I am distressed about this situation.

 

[Tuhmu]

Was the chick injured?

 

[brood mother]

Not that I can tell. I think we scared the hen off. In time hopefully. I don't know what this type if behavior means? It bothers me, because my hens are so sweet I us. They just love me and my daughter. I hate to see them behave in such a way. I mean, was she gonna kill the chick??? I am so worried!

 

[brood mother]

But when we went out there, before any of this happened, I couldn't find the chicks. I could hear them, and the hens were being quite vocal. The chicks had gone over and were in the hen's coop and were scared to come out cause the hens were standing right outside the coop door.

But now in defense of the chicks, the hens walk over and go in their coop all the time and intimidate them.

 

[Tuhmu]

Sounds like its pecking order re-establishment. Hang in there!